Why Did Sen.John Tester's Amendment to Strike Monsanto Rider not Get a Vote?

[KoKo]

(Why did Senator Tester's Amendment to Strike the Language from the Bill..never get a vote? The Dems control the Senate so why didn't it get a vote.? )

Mikulski says she doesn't support 'Monsanto rider' in funding bill

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-mikulski-under-fire-for-monsanto-rider-in-funding-bill-20130328,0,7542852.story

"But, O'Neil added, the language did not originate with Mikulski. Rather, it was included in legislation that had been developed before she took the chairmanship. Democratic leaders, including Mikulski, were under pressure to pass a funding a bill quickly as Democrats and Republicans in Congress were eager to demonstrate they could deal with a budget deadline without creating the type of fiscal showdown that has defined the last several years.

Congress had until March 27 to pass a funding bill or shut down the government.

Mikulski picked up the previously agreed-to language and attached it, largely unchanged, to the funding legislation. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, offered an amendment to strike the language from the bill but that amendment never received a vote.

"Her hands were tied by the negotiations that had previously happened," O'Neil said of Mikulski. "We recognize that the tough spot she was in."

O'Neil said food safety groups nevertheless hope to keep the pressure on Mikulski to get the language removed later this year, when the government must pass its next round of funding legislation. "

[Scuba]

1. Congress is the most dysfunctional family in America.

[valerief]

30. Whores who work for the .001%. Nothing dysfunctional about that when you're a crook. nt

[proverbialwisdom]

59. The media is awful, too.

http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-bill-blunt-agriculture-006/

...According to an article published Monday in the New York Daily News, US Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) “worked with Monsanto to craft the language in the bill.”

MORE.

[KoKo]

2. I've read many of the posts but, the Tester Amendment hasn't

seemed to have been mentioned except in this article from Baltimore Sun..which Will Pitt gave link to in a post last night.

If an Amendment was offered why didn't Harry Reid let it be voted on? And it's interesting that the Monsanto Rider had already been prepared to put in the Bill and yet we are told that it was attache in secret so no one could do anything about it...yet Senator John Tester had an Amendment...but it couldn't be voted on.

Doesn't make sense if the Dems could have allowed a vote then why didn't they?

[NYC_SKP]

3. It could be because congress is so fucked up and Monsanto is that powerful.

I hate this world sometimes.

[KoKo]

12. but that's a blanket statement.

Environmentalists/Food Protection Groups were very angry about this.

What I'm asking is if the Monsanto Rider was already prepared and got in the bill and Milkulsky is taking blame for not noticing it, but John Tester had an Amendment ready to "strike" the language (according to the Baltimore Sun article) then those focusing on Obama not vetoing the bill or doing a signing statement) are getting off-track in not wanting to know when the Rider was written, who inserted it into the bill and why did John Tester have an amendment to "strike" that was not brought up for vote?

Why did John Tester even bother to have an Amendment if Monsanto was so sure the whole thing would go through anyway?

Or...is this some "cover story" that was fed to the Baltimore Sun? If so to what purpose?

[adieu]

19. Bottom line

There were enough people complicit to make it happen. Just enough people with power. I'm looking at you, Reid, McConnell, and Obama.

[sabrina 1]

9. It has been mentioned, going back months. But if Monsanto doesn't want it

Congress obeys. I just posted an old article from July 2012 so they can't continue to lie and claim this was a big surprise. A petition was circulating nearly a year ago.

See here to get an idea of how much warning they had about this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526879

[KoKo]

13. Point I'm trying to make is WHY did Tester have an Amendment to Strike

it from the bill..but it wasn't brought up for a vote?

Why would he bother...or is it a "cover story" fed to the Baltimore Sun?

[sabrina 1]

15. I can't answer that. Why do the Corporations get to meddle with legislation

in the first place? Most likely the Party Leadership did not want to bring it up for a vote. Tester represents a lot of farmers, they are the ones most affected by this rider. Either he just did it to act like he is fighting for them, or he was sincere but could not get his party to back him up.

[ReRe]

29. That's a great question in your heading....

.... "Why do Corps get to meddle with legislation?" Honey bunny (respectfully), Corps and the NRA write most of the legislation up there. I thought that was common knowledge. Maybe someone will speak up and correct my thinking if I am wrong?

[sabrina 1]

32. No, I know they get to write legislation, my question is 'how this happen'?

I always thought Congress wrote legislation, until relatively recently. Was there a law passed allowing unelected corporations to do the job we elect Congress to do?

And if they can do it, why can't we the people do it? Is there a law AGAINST the people writing legislation? I just don't know when un-elected corporations got the job of doing what people always thought was Congress' job.

[ReRe]

40. Unelected Corporations got the job...

.... because they paid for the privilege, in the form of campaign donations. The wink, nod, and handshake kind of back-door deals. There very well may be a law that was sneaked through, attached to some bill in the past. Who knows? It would be a good question for everyone to ask their Congressmen and Senators while they are in the home districts right now.

[sabrina 1]

43. I think I would like to know from someone with knowledge of the law and the

Constitution if it is legal for un-elected entities to write laws for this country. I don't understand how it could be. Can we the people, write legislation and if anyone can do so, why do we need Congress?

It's about time to find out how this happened and why and to put a stop to it if possible. It is incredible that anyone would think this is okay, a Corporation writing legislation that benefits itself.

Thanks for your response.

[suffragette]

51. Also interesting is "mystery" surrounding who added to bill when it's been reported it is Roy Blunt

by Politico and NY Daily News.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/big-agriculture-tom-vilsack-monsanto-89268_Page2.html

Coming from Missouri, Blunt is a strong ally for both the poultry companies and Monsanto, and as the ranking Republican on the Ag appropriations subcommittee, he was a consistent and determined presence.

“Well, it’s in there and it works,” Blunt laughed, when asked about rescinding the poultry rules. “Everybody knew it was going to be permanent,” Blunt told POLITICO. “This is no ‘the House and Senate didn’t know what the House and Senate were doing.’ We accepted it in December.”

In the case of the Monsanto rider, Blunt said he worked with the company and had a valuable partner in the late chairman, Inouye, who was sympathetic given Monsanto’s large seed operations in Hawaii.

“What it says is if you plant a crop that is legal to plant when you plant it, you get to harvest it,” Blunt said. “But it is only a one year protection in that bill.”




http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/food-oversight-curbs-spending-bill-outrage-article-1.1298967

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who worked with Monsanto to craft the language in the bill, defended it. “What it says is if you plant a crop that is legal to plant when you plant it, you get to harvest it. But it is only a one-year protection in that bill.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/food-oversight-curbs-spending-bill-outrage-article-1.1298967#ixzz2OyZfvqxG

[sabrina 1]

58. Thank you suffragette. I also found some other names who were involved

one of them a 'former member of Congress' now working on behalf of Big Corporations. That is one thing that ought to be stopped, the revolving door.

I posted a link to an article in the OWS forum, I think that is where the info on the others involved can be found http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526879

[Enrique]

21. also mentioned in this Politico article

Watching the bill with dismay was Sen. Jon Tester, a 56-year-old Montana Democrat and one of the few farmers in Congress.

In his lifetime, Tester has witnessed firsthand the immense consolidation of power at the top of the meat industry and was one of those in Congress who urged the Ag Department to be more aggressive with its regulatory power under the 1921 Packers and Stockyards Act. At the same time, as an organic farmer himself, Tester is leery of the power enjoyed by Monsanto and the introduction of new GMO (genetically modified organism) products tailored to work better with herbicides.

(...)


Tester waited too long to be a major force, and critics would argue that as a member of the Appropriations panel, he should have seen the train coming at him sooner. But he did file amendments — which were never allowed votes — to strip out both the riders. In private, he made his displeasure known to top Appropriations Committee staff, and he delivered a strongly worded floor speech likening the provisions to essentially earmarks for industry.

“We’re back to square one with the big meatpackers calling the shots,” Tester told his colleagues.

“These provisions are giveaways, pure and simple, and will be a boon worth millions of dollars to a handful of the biggest corporations in this country,” Tester said. “They deserve no place in this bill. We simply have got to do better on both policy and process.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/big-agriculture-tom-vilsack-monsanto-89268_Page3.html#ixzz2OwgVVEsG

[2naSalit]

50. Probably because everyone saw him as a

hypocrite after crying "wolf" with that illegal wolf de-listing rider he stuffed into a "must-pass" budget bill a couple years ago.

Like a "Free Speech For Me But Not For Thee" sort of thing.

[Autumn]

4. Good question. Probably because it might not go over well

with Monsanto would be my guess.

[KoKo]

6. But...Democrats could have held a vote....why didn't they?

Did they feel that other Dems would vote with Repugs...so it wasn't worth a try? Yet, John Tester..had an amendment. If he knew the amendment would go nowhere then why would he have bothered to propose it?

Or, was their fear that the Amendment could have have passed and that's why Reid wouldn't allow the vote? Either way if the Amendment went down...we could blame the Repugs and Dem Crossovers but instead we are blaming the whole Senate. John Tester is a mixed bag and tends to be one that votes with Repugs. I don't know his views on our environment or Monsanto...but if he had Amendment to STRIKE the Rider...then it would be interesting to know.

I thought some here who are heavily involved with the fight against GMO might have more information about the Tester Amendment since Baltimore Sun is only place I've seen it mentioned.

[Autumn]

8. KoKo, the curtain has been opened, and the window is clear enough to see in.

Last edited Fri Mar 29, 2013, 12:00 PM - Edit history (1)

It was put in the bill because they, including the Democrat who put it in there wanted it in there. If Reid didn't allow the vote, he didn't want a vote or at the very least didn't want to bother with it. Just my opinion.

[KoKo]

17. Autumn...I hope that was a typo and not a Freudian Slip...

in your post to me....

[Autumn]

18. Sorry I have arthritus and I do make a lot of typos.

you should have seen the time I typed Drenchicat instead of Frenchiecat, and the damn spell check doesn't corect it. I love your posts. Fixed it.

[KoKo]

34. No...problem..

[sabrina 1]

10. DeFazio had one too. But again, Monsanto rules so they were 'wasting everyone's

time, I've been told.

[hughee99]

5. Bullshit! They fuck around with deadlines all the time, and "under pressure"

isn't an acceptable excuse to let such a thing slide.

They didn't have the vote because no one wanted to actually go on record for keeping the amendment.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

7. x2

Are we supposed to pretend to have amnesia, not understand what drives these people, and be confused by all this?

[sabrina 1]

11. Yes, now you're getting it. Just shhhhh, our Reps are helpless and we should be

happy that they passed a bi-partisan bill, again. If they fight for the people, they are 'wasting everyone's time' and this way, so you have something to hang on to, they don't look like 'obstructionists'. That's the word for 'fighting for the people. Please do not forget it again! Making them look good is what it's all about we are told.

[KoKo]

16. It's important to keep exposing it, though. Many people didn't

know about the Monsanto Rider being put into the bill...Mikulsky saying she didn't notice ...or whatever ...but that John Tester had an Amendment to Strike It...and it wasn't brought up for a vote.

I didn't know the background (if the Baltimore Sun article is accurate) about it until Will Pitt posted the Sun's link and I read the article.

Shouldn't exposing how this went be of some value for those who didn't know the details of what's going on?

Maybe many don't care about the details, but I learned something I didn't know about how the Rider got in and what went on with "ass covering" about it. Maybe others who didn't know will now be more supportive of efforts to stop this kind of thing going on in the future.
If the whole system of government is F**ed Up...then the more people who awaken to that the better for massive pushback.

[sabrina 1]

20. Koko, I completely agree with you. I was being sarcastic.

But you see the effort here to try to stop the people from even registering their disagreement with what just happened. And this is Democratic forum.

They knew about this long ago and yet did nothing to try to stop it.

This article, which I posted in the OWS forum shows how long ago and how openly it was discussed, they knew about it http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526879

There really is no excuse for what happened. I would prefer the just be honest, at least you don't feel that your intelligence is being insulted when they don't pretend they 'couldn't help it'.

[KoKo]

36. Thanks! Well check it out in OWS Forum

Last edited Fri Mar 29, 2013, 04:09 PM - Edit history (1)

I haven't been there in awhile...

Okay...I checked it out over at OWS. It's an excellent read...I'll put a snip and link in here ON EDIT:

------
Sabrina1

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526879#post1

OWS Journal, July 2012: Monsanto's Rider Ready For 2013 Bill.

Last edited Fri Mar 29, 2013, 09:56 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
If you've been reading about the Monsanto Rider attached to the 2013 Agricultural Bill you have been told that they sneaked it into the Bill and that you should just stfu about it because nothing could be done without shutting down the government, or something to that effect.

But in fact, there has been almost a full year when Democrats COULD have done something about it since it was no secret to them what Monsanto was up to.

Remember that this article was written in July of 2012! So the rider was hardly a 'surprise' to our elected officials as we are being led to believe:

Is Monsanto About to Gain Immunity From Federal Law?
A so-called “Monsanto rider,” quietly slipped into the multi-billion dollar FY 2013 Agricultural Appropriations bill, would require – not just allow, but require - the Secretary of Agriculture to grant a temporary permit for the planting or cultivation of a genetically engineered crop, even if a federal court has ordered the planting be halted until an Environmental Impact Statement is completed. All the farmer or the biotech producer has to do is ask, and the questionable crops could be released into the environment where they could potentially contaminate conventional or organic crops and, ultimately, the nation’s food supply.

Unless the Senate or a citizen’s army of farmers and consumers can stop them, the House of Representatives is likely to ram this dangerous rider through any day now.

[KoKo]

52. DU'er "Sabrina1" has an excellent post about this at this link

and it's Worth the Read that this MONSANTO AMENDMENT was in the works for OVER a YEAR...and Sneaked into that "Dead of Night Bill" as part of some SCAM! ...that was Pre-arranged!

Read and Know the Truth of this Bill!


http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526879#post1

[zeemike]

26. Indeed it is important to keep exposing things as they are.

Despite the pressures of our own kind to STFU so that we won't hurt democrats change of winning...very similar to the "Support the Troops" game they ran on us to get us into a disastrous war.
And many folks on our side that are well meaning fall for it every time.

Remember stop the filibuster?...we were all for it so the senate could get back to democracy, but Reid promised to do it, then openly failed to keep the promise...he might as well have said fuck you, I don't work for you little people.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

35. What amazes me is that there are enablers on this board who seem to be happily oblivious.

The rich and the super-rich, and their politicians, financially benefit at the expense of the country as a whole. Yet, the enablers seem to be satisfied with some emotional sense of identifying with them. It's nuts.

[Skip Intro]

14. +1. nt

[ProSense]

22. Imagine that:

"Why Did Sen.John Tester's Amendment to Strike Monsanto Rider not Get a Vote?"

...No one has an answer.

More information on the Monsanto rider. Also Democratic budget supports labeling.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022576338

I'm thrilled that the President didn't veto the spending bill
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022582817

[whatchamacallit]

23. Good question

Expect a lot of shitty throw-away answers.

[nineteen50]

24. Excuses

are like a******* everyone has them. Sick of "I'm new "

[ProSense]

25. FYI:

In June 2012, the Senate voted down a genetically engineered food labeling bill 26 to 73
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022583957

[Egalitarian Thug]

27. Because Democrats are congenitally helpless and no matter how large a majority they

have, there is never any political will to do what they really, honestly wish they could do.

It's only the evil republicans that can accomplish massive changes overnight with bare majorities, or even minorities because even Democrats know that the right wing is the only wing that actually works.

[onenote]

28. I wish it had gotten a vote, but it was hardly singled out in that regard

There were around 110 amendments submitted. Fewer than 20 actually were considered. The ones that were adopted (around 9 or 10)were all adopted either by unanimous consent or by a voice vote. The ones that were actually voted on all lost. Even Reid submitted amendments that didn't get considered on the floor.

I'm not defending the way the Senate operates, just pointing out what happened.

[KoKo]

37. That's interesting information. Says that these "All Night Votes"

should not be allowed. These votes on the edge of the cliff have become so common that we are in danger of average person thinking this theater and skullduggery is the "Normal" when it should not even occur. Nothing good comes out of things done in secret when "the people" are not able to know until the deeds trickle out. And with a controlled press it's often hard to dig out the details unless there are groups who can do it...but by then the American people just accept what CNN or Fox told them.

This needs to change.

[onenote]

42. This wasn't an "all night" vote situation

The amended bill with the Monsanto language (along with another 200 plus pages of provisions not found in the version passed by the House over the objections of a majority of the House Democrats) was submitted on March 11. Tester submitted his amendment to strip the monsanto language on March 13 (along with dozens of other amendments that didn't get considered). Additional amendments were submitted on the 14th and a few more on the 18th and 20th. Again, most did not get consideration. The bill itself was passed by the Senate on the 20th at 3:42 pm.

A few other things to consider. Six other Senators were original co-sponsors of the amendment to strip the monsanto amendment -- Leahy, Gillibrand, Boxer, Begich, Blumenthal, Wyden, and Heinrich. Even though the amendment didn't get a vote, they all voted in favor of the continuing resolution to keep the government funded. Which means the notion that the president could have vetoed the bill and had the veto sustained is laughable. If those six had switched their votes to oppose the same bill they just voted for because of something they obviously knew was in the bill, and in so doing, put the government's continued funding back up in the air, they would be pilloried.

[KoKo]

47. It was Last Friday Night that the DARK DEED was DONE...

The RAMMED through "THE BILL" and did not allow VOTES on almost all of the Amendments.

Give me Your Link...and I'll Give You Mine...!

[onenote]

49. Here are my links. Please show me yours.

Consideration of the bill in the Senate began on Wednesday March 13 and the vote on passage was held on Wednesday March 20 and the House concurred in a vote on Thursday March 21. These two links show these actions and the time of day in which they occurred:

Senate enactment of amended bill on Wednesday afternoon, March 20:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00042


House passage of Senate amended bill on Thursday morning, March 21:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:HR00933:@@@X

3/21/2013 10:54am:
On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 318 - 109 (Roll no. 89). (text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H1725-1790)
3/21/2013 10:54a

[KoKo]

54. BUT...One Year Ago that Monsanto Legislation was Crafted...

HERE: It was a DONE DEAL...it was a YEAR Ago....

Read This:

sabrina 1 (32,875 posts)

View profile
OWS Journal, July 2012: Monsanto's Rider Ready For 2013 Bill.

Last edited Fri Mar 29, 2013, 09:56 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
If you've been reading about the Monsanto Rider attached to the 2013 Agricultural Bill you have been told that they sneaked it into the Bill and that you should just stfu about it because nothing could be done without shutting down the government, or something to that effect.

But in fact, there has been almost a full year when Democrats COULD have done something about it since it was no secret to them what Monsanto was up to.

Remember that this article was written in July of 2012! So the rider was hardly a 'surprise' to our elected officials as we are being led to believe:

Is Monsanto About to Gain Immunity From Federal Law?

A so-called “Monsanto rider,” quietly slipped into the multi-billion dollar FY 2013 Agricultural Appropriations bill, would require – not just allow, but require - the Secretary of Agriculture to grant a temporary permit for the planting or cultivation of a genetically engineered crop, even if a federal court has ordered the planting be halted until an Environmental Impact Statement is completed. All the farmer or the biotech producer has to do is ask, and the questionable crops could be released into the environment where they could potentially contaminate conventional or organic crops and, ultimately, the nation’s food supply.

Unless the Senate or a citizen’s army of farmers and consumers can stop them, the House of Representatives is likely to ram this dangerous rider through any day now.


Hope springs eternal, but unfortunately the people's Representatives are powerless, or so we are told. The bill has already passed with the rider attached, as we all know now.

You have to admire them, however grudgingly, because they fight for what they want and they generally get it. We the people are obviously doing something wrong.

There were a few Democrats who tried to stop it and we owe them a thank you for their efforts, but without much support from their own party, they failed:

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has sponsored an amendment to kill the rider, whose official name is “the farmers assurance” provision. But even if DeFazio’s amendment makes it through the House vote, it still has to survive the Senate. Meanwhile, organizations like the Organic Consumers Association, Center for Food Safety, FoodDemocracyNow!, the Alliance for Natural Health USA and many others are gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures in protest of the rider, and in support of DeFazio’s amendment.


Thank you Rep. DeFazio. It must be frustrating to do the right thing but not have the support you need to defend the people against Corporate Power. Nevertheless, we thank you for your efforts.

Sen. Tester tried also, but his efforts too were in vain.


So it was not a surprise that our poor, powerless Reps just found out about when it was too late to do anything about after all. They had a year to join Tester and DeFazio to fight the inclusion of this rider in the bill.

And who do we have to thank for doing the actual dirty work of putting it there in the first place? Well, of course it was Republicans, we can't have Democrats working for Monsanto, at least not so blatantly.

The article reveals the actual culprits, so relax, you CAN 'blame the Republicans' and excuse our own party, or at least that is what you are expected to do.

It was 'legislator of the year, the agricultural sub-committee chair Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) who got the job done.

And then we see the revolving door between elected office and the rewards they receive as they enter the Corporate world, after leaving office, at work. if they work hard to pass legislation beneficial to Corporate America.

Kingston was aided and abetted, according to the article, by 'former' Pennsylvania Congressman, John C. Greenwood, currently president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.


Who loses now that the Corporations won again?

There are many losers, we've already seen what happens when bad legislation like this ends up causing food contamination that has to be recalled, causing huge losses to farmers, not to mention the harm done to consumers.

Among the biggest losers if Congress ignores the DeFazio amendment and passes the “farmers assurance provision” are thousands of farmers of conventional and organic crops, including those who rely on the export market for their livelihoods. An increasing number of global markets are requiring GMO-free agricultural products or, at the very least, enforcing strict GMO labeling laws. If this provision passes, it will allow unrestricted planting of potentially dangerous crops, exposing other safe and non-GMO crops to risk of contamination.

Why should you be outraged about this provision? For all these reasons:

·
The Monsanto Rider is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. Judicial review is an essential element of U.S. law, providing a critical and impartial check on government decisions that may negatively impact human health, the environment or livelihoods. Maintaining the clear-cut boundary of a Constitutionally-guaranteed separation of powers is essential to our government. This provision will blur that line.

· Judicial review is a gateway, not a roadblock. Congress should be fully supportive of our nation’s independent judiciary. The ability of courts to review, evaluate and judge an issue that impacts public and environmental health is a strength, not a weakness, of our system. The loss of this fundamental safeguard could leave public health, the environment and livelihoods at risk.


The Democratic Controlled Senate passed the bill and a bi-partisan effort in Congress got it moved forward.

There is a lot more in this excellent article which is well worth reading, unless of course you are with those who think this is all a 'waste of everyone's time'.

I wonder how much it helps get something like this horrible legislation passed to have former Monsanto CEOs appointed to positions of power in our Government?



Michael Taylor, former Monsanto Vice President, is now the FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods.

I can't find anything to prove that someone like a former VP of Monsanto might not be working in the best interests of consumers, but applying logic to the situation, I have a feeling he at least was not trying to prevent that rider from being attached to the bill.

But please do not blame our elected officials for this. They were 'taken by surprise'! Except for the few who weren't. More importantly they would have been 'wasting everyone's time' if they had even tried to stop it we are told.

And we would never want to do that, would we?
5


http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526879#post1

[ReRe]

31. I'm going to say this and then I have to scoot....

.... have a Dr appmt. Anytime the Senate or House hold these all-night slumber parties in Congress, take some NoDoze and drink coffee and stay up. Every single time they do that, something happens. That's how they pulled off the Medicare Parma coup at 3AM years ago in the GWB years. Another thing... they didn't take a roll-call vote on all of the amendments last Friday night/Saturday am. They would just do a voice vote. And Patty would judge which were the most. I have to run... Adios amigos...

[KoKo]

41. "In the Dead of the Night" ..."Dark Deeds are Done"

I read that in a novel or maybe it's a famous quote...but that has stuck with me since I was a Little Kid Reader.

If people have to resort to doing "dark deeds" .....they will seek the "cover of dark" to do them.

One of our Texas DU'ers did a DU RUNNING THREAD on that VOTE...They stayed up until 4:45 a.m. posting each Senator...what they proposed and there were other DU'ers helpin by posting on the thread ...ALL THAT NIGHT.

In the end...what went on was so indecipherable that we STILL didn't find out until Days Later what went on.

Kudo's to the DU'er and helpers who carried on the "old DU Tradition of Monitoring these Votes".....but, in the end...it was so confusing to the Average Citizen that we DID NOT KNOW what PASSED that NIGHT...IN THE DARK until DAYS LATER!

THIS IS NO WAY to RUN OUR GOVERNMENT! THIS NEEDS TO STOP.

RUBBER STAMPING...LOBBYISTS FOR BIG CORPORATIONS BILLS in the Dead of Night is FASCISM! RUBBER STAMPING! BOTH PARTIES..in COLLUSION?!

[onenote]

45. This wasn't done in the dead of night.

Mikulski introduced her "substitute" for the House bill on March 11 and Tester submitted his amendment to strike the monsanto provision on March 13. The bill was on the Senate floor for a week and the vote to pass it occurred in the middle of the afternoon on the 20th. The House vote to pass the amended version took place at 11 AM the next day.

[KoKo]

55. They voted until 4:45 a.m. Last Saturday Morning..!

DU'er from Texas had "Running Thread" here on DU all night with it with help from other DU'ers. Where were YOU?

[onenote]

56. Not on this bill, they didn't

That was the Budget bill, which passed the Senate. Hasn't been considered by the House and has nothing to do with the Appropriations bill that was passed earlier in the week.
Link:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00092

So the answer to your snarky question is that I was paying attention. What were you doing?

[Hulk]

33. This is some scary stuff!

The world is sleeping on this one. Monsanto is developing and controlling a monster to the agriculture industry of the world, and we're going to sit silent and let them go forward??

I've seen a few documentaries on what Monsanto is doing to the potatoe industry and corn production all over the Americas. It's an absolute sin and crime. This needs to have a harness applied to it. If YOU want to grow their crops for YOUR consumption? go ahead. If you want to produce and sell this to others AND LABEL IT AS GENETICALLY MODIFIED? go ahead. But if you want to control seed usage, develop crops that develop mutations such as "super-bugs" and God only knows what other side affects? STOP IT NOW!!

[woo me with science]

38. K&R

[progressoid]

39. Why?

Surely, that question is rhetorical.

[alcibiades_mystery]

44. Because EVIL EMPEROR OBAMA forbade it!

[KoKo]

46. Well....that's a bit "OTT" ....don'tcha think?

We ALL want OBAMA to be a Democrat...but those of us who want him to be FDR Incarnate...sort of want it MORE.... Just saying.

[alcibiades_mystery]

48. Y'all manage to know less about FDR than you do about Obama

Which is actually remarkable.

Have fun with your little parlor games, friend.

[KoKo]

53. What are the "Parlor Games?"

This sounded like a "Post and Cut Out" thing you posted.

If you want to reply to me then state what it is you want to say...and wait for my response.

Isn't that more FAIR than what you just posted to me?

[Wilms]

57. ^